Our full day on the fascinating island of Santorini (Thera) started with a stroll through the beautiful town of Oia, once a quiet village of blue domes and whitewashed houses, but now growing in size and popularity. After our visit, we headed for the archaeological museum in Fira, where numerous well-preserved frescoes from the Middle Bronze Age are on display. These spectacular paintings give us a tantalizing glimpse at life in the Aegean around 1630 BC, including one of our best depictions of ships and seafaring in this era.
We paused for a leisurely lunch at Mario’s Restaurant, which featured both a refreshing seaside location and delightful local fare, such as a delicate fava spread, feta with herbs, and stuffed tomatoes. We ended our island visit with a tour of the archaeological site of Akrotiri, destroyed by a volcanic eruption around 1630 BC and popularly known as the Pompeii of the Aegean.
Our tender back to the ship was a bit more leisurely than expected, but once aboard we enjoyed a Greek barbecue dinner on the Lido Deck, and we ended our splendid day with a performance of salty songs of the sea by the Sea Cloud Shanty Gang.
